Confidentiality

The practice complies with Data Protection and Access to Medical Records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:

To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from district nurses and hospital services.

To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department. This requires your consent.

When we have a duty to others e.g. in child protection cases. Anonymised patient information will also be used at local and national level to help the Hillingdon CCG and Government plan services e.g. improving services in deprived areas.

Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.

Comments & Complaints

We always strive to provide the highest standard of service but there may be times when you feel this has not been provided.

The practice has an internal complaints procedure run by the Administration Manager and the GP Principal. This procedure does not deal with any matters of legal liability or compensation nor does it affect your right to approach the NHS England if you are dissatisfied with the response we give to you.

If you should wish to make a complaint it should be addressed to the Administration Manager who will ensure that it is fully and thoroughly investigated. Please note that if you are raising a complaint on behalf of the patient, the patient’s written consent will be required before details can be discussed with you.

A complaints form is available on request.

Violent and Abusive Patients

The Practice operates a zero tolerance policy to violent and abusive conduct.

Any incident of violence or abusive conduct directed at any member of staff, or any other person on the premises will result in the immediate removal of the patient from our list. The matter will then be referred to the police where it will be dealt with under the provisions of the law.

PRACTICE CHARTER

WE WILL

treat you as a partner in the care and attention you receive

treat you as an individual and give you courtesy and respect at all times

provide you with the most appropriate care and treatment given by our team who are suitably qualified

give you full information about the services we offer and in particular about anything which directly affects your health and care

give you access to your medical records, subject to any limitation in the law, regarding them as strictly confidential

WE ASK YOU TO

To be courteous to staff at all times

Responding in a postive way to questions asked by reception staff- they are trying to help you

Giving 2 working days for repeat prescription requests, or when a new medication is requested by a hospital consultant please allow longer for accurate prescribing

Out of hour calls (e.g. evenings, nights, & weekends) should only be requested if they are felt to be necessary

ask us if you don’t understand or are unsure about anything to do with your treatment

keep us informed if you change your name or move house or telephone number

keep your appointments and tell us as soon as possible if you can’t keep them

be ready to give us full information about past illnesses, medication, hospital admissions and anything else that is relevant

tell us when we fail to meet these standards so we can put things right. We have a Practice Complaints Procedure, details of which can be obtained from Reception

The Medical Centre

CHAPERONE POLICY

INTRODUCTION

This policy is designed to protect both patients and staff from abuse or allegations of abuse and to assist patients to make an informed choice about their examinations and consultations. There are roughly fifteen members of staff who are qualified to act as a Chaperone at the Medical Centre. These members of staff have been officially checked through the official channels and or have received the appropriate training.

GUIDELINES

Clinicians (male and female) should consider whether an intimate or personal examination of the patient (either male or female) is justified, or whether the nature of the consultation poses a risk of misunderstanding.

The clinician should give the patient a clear explanation of what the examination will involve.

Always adopt a professional and considerate manner - be careful with humour as a way of relaxing a nervous situation as it can easily be misinterpreted.

Always ensure that the patient is provided with adequate privacy to undress and dress.

Ensure that a suitable sign is clearly on display in each consulting or treatment room offering the chaperone service if required.

This should remove the potential for misunderstanding. However, there will still be times when either the clinician, or the patient, feels uncomfortable, and it would be appropriate to consider using a chaperone. Patients who request a chaperone should never be examined without a chaperone being present. If necessary, where a chaperone is not available, the consultation / examination should be rearranged for a mutually convenient time when a chaperone can be present.

Complaints and claims have not been limited to male doctors with female patients - there are many examples of alleged homosexual assault by female and male doctors. Consideration should also be given to the possibility of a malicious accusation by a patient

There may be rare occasions when a chaperone is needed for a home visit. The following procedure should still be followed.

WHO CAN ACT AS A CHAPERONE?

A variety of people can act as a chaperone in the practice. Where possible, it is strongly recommended that chaperones should be clinical staff familiar with procedural aspects of personal examination. Where suitable clinical staff members are not available the examination should be deferred.

Where the practice determine that non-clinical staff will act in this capacity the patient must agree to the presence of a non-clinician in the examination, and be at ease with this. The staff member should be trained in the procedural aspects of personal examinations, comfortable in acting in the role of chaperone, and be confident in the scope and extent of their role. They will have received instruction on where to stand and what to watch and instructions to that effect will be laid down in writing by the practice.

CONFIDENTIALITY

The chaperone should only be present for the examination itself, and most discussion with the patient should take place while the chaperone is not present.

Patients should be reassured that all practice staff understand their responsibility not to divulge confidential information.